I'm guessing that we might have our next "gate". But this time it's more than a "gate".

Linguistically, people have chosen to not call this a "gate", because to relegate it to and homage to Watergate would belittle the offenses.

Watergate was about Nixon authorizing one "burglary" because he thought he could gain some advantage in the campaign.

This is about the perversion of one of the most basic institutions of the United States Government. For over two hundred thirty years the Justice Department has remained a bastion of integrity. I'm sure there have been some partisan-ne're-do-wells in it's history, but this is different.

This is the Executive branch, using the power of the United States Government to try to discourage, and dispose of the votes of as many Democratic voters as possible.

And why were they doing this?

At the outset it was just so they could loosen some regulations and cut some fat checks to some close friends, courtesy of the US Taxpayer and their children.

But after six years, they've become addicted to the money, and the power, and they are afraid that this is the only way to keep themselves out of prison.

Lest we forget, Consider KBR, Exxon, and Blackwater:

Halliburton/KBR - Dick Cheney was granted a crate full of Halliburton/KBR stock as a reward for becoming vice-president. Since then it has done quite well winning federal contracts despite ample evidence they have continually perpetuted fraud and terribly mismanage logistics in Iraq.

Exxon - Has posted consecutive largest-profits-ever.

Blackwater - Has built a very lucrative mercenary industry while avoiding any oversite and paying $100s millions to loyal-Bushies for "consulting services". This includes former senior justice department officials with close ties to Gonzales Bush and Cheney.

So, in short: Rove and Gonzales were trying to stack the justice department with political hacks, who given the power of indictment would use it to:

1. debilitate Democratic candidates,

2. defund their financial supporters, and

3. intimidate or outright arrest anyone silly enough to try to register blacks and Mexicans to vote (let alone have the name of a black man and try to vote in Florida. "Uh, I'm sorry Mr. Tyrone Jones. It appears that you are ineligable to vote because someone with your name went to jail").

All this so they could remain in power and continue to spend $100+ billion/year to fight a war that is providing us no benefit.

And when they get caught. . . What does the brave leader, and his consigliere do? Blame it on anyone who dares break the circle of trust. As Josh Marshal so succinctly put it

McNulty: You guys are crooks;

Gonzales: Yeah, whatever, but no one would know if you'd kept your mouth shut.

They are pitiful, really.